Judy Taylor Interview-Maine Labor Mural

In 2008, Artist Judy Taylor painted 11 panels to tell the story of Maine’s labor history. The mural was installed at the Maine Department of Labor in September 2008 and removed in March 2011.

The mural was re-installed in the atrium of Maine’s state Cultural Building in January 2013 and is now a permanent part of the Maine State Museum collection. This is an excerpt from an interview with Judy Taylor. In it she describes her artistic process and the importance of labor historian, Charles Scontras’s advice and knowledge throughout the creation of the Maine Labor Mural. Judy Taylor described Scontras as a “guiding light” in her planning and creation of the Maine Labor Mural’s scenes. She honored Scontras’s years of service in education and history by selecting him as a model for the mural’s first panel, titled “Apprenticeship,” that shows a shoemaker teaching his craft to a young apprentice.

Watch the video below to learn more!